Shutter Speed Series Edition 1

Here are a few of the chosen photos we received from Rift readers, along with their captions.

Photo "Decapitated Religion" by Elena Ruiz

Edition 1

Decapitated Religion by Elena Ruiz

(circa 2011)

I woke up the morning I took this photo and it was a gloomy day. I instantly was inspired to shooting and look for locations to go with this day. I had been wanting to check out the Smelter Cemetery for some time and that day was perfect. I snapped a few photos that day, but my favorite was this one. To me, it showed the respect that still remains for lost loved ones just from the simple gesture of the Jesus head being placed at his feet. The sky looked amazing. It set the whole mood for this photo. This location, the Smelter Cemetery in ASARCO, carries a lot of history and I love that I captured a piece of that.

Virgen of St. Patrick's Cathedral by Carlos Hernandez

Virgen of St. Pathrick's Cathedral by Carlos Hernandez

Spiritual iconography is such an important part of our community, I walk around and see it everywhere. I took this picture at the cathedral downtown as the sun was setting.

9 Sueños Pequeños by ByroN Sun

9 sueños pequeños by ByroN Sun

The scene that has been stolen and preserved by this B&W photo represents an alternate reality, a different perspective of a moment that only lasted for an instant. What you see now is not what my ayes actually saw that Saturday. The photo is just a tribute of what the Shutter Speed doesn't remember. A tribute not only to one alley lost amongst the hundred other alleys that maze them selves in and out of people’s awareness but, perhaps even most importantly a tribute to: Juanjo, Cautivita, el Gallinaso, la Popis, Chimpa, la Shute, el Guaca, el Hilachas and el Zapatón: 9 mattresses with a dream. In between South El Paso St. and South Santa Fe St. or just behind Tricky Falls is where the 9 mattresses rested to take one last look back at the Camino Real Hotel that had just decommissioned them, after thirty years of service, to be disposed of and buried in the landfill. Through the years all 9 of them heard that del otro lado in Juárez there was a man who would recycle old and discarded mattresses to the extent that he reused every part to make a new affordable luxury mattresses. So little by little they made their way to el otro lado to make their small dream come true.